Could We Really Be
by M. Love
Summary: Year seven is ending in a week and Draco feels as if he hasn't acheived everything he's wanted to. Then at a school party he gazes into the Mirror of Erised and discovers the one thing he's missing, Hermione! But has she already chosen to love Ron?
1. Did she see me in the mirror?

Draco sat at his potions table, Vincent Crabbe sat next to him his fat head lay on the table as a pile of drool slowly leaked out of his mouth. Blaise Zabbinni, probably Draco's _only_ good friend, sat on his right balancing his wand on his nose. Everyone around him laughed when it rolled off, fell onto the table and shot a spell out of the end of it- hitting a picture or a fat old man.

"You little brat! You've got some nerve!" the picture yelled, everyone laughed even harder, but eventually got bored and turned away from Blaise. Blaise chuckled slightly then turned over to Draco who had his hand in his hands staring ahead at Snape's empty desk- Snape was currently running late for class.

"Draco, mate, what's up?" Blaise asked him. Draco looked over at him and just shrugged.

"I'm just bored, you know…" he drawled, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, you shouldn't be mate! This is the last week of school; you should be living it up!" Blaise insisted and to make his point her put his feet up on the counter and smiled over at Draco. "See what I mean!"

"I know but I just can't help but find it depressing!" Draco admitted, Blaise just stares at him with one eyebrow arched. "I mean this is it, everything I've ever done in the last seven years has come to an end, and I can't help but feel like its, well I feel as if I haven't done much with my life so far…" Blaise's feet fell off the counter top and Blaise just gave out a short surprised laugh.

"What that's ridiculous! You've made great friends" Blaise said smiling proudly, 'great' had obviously referred to him. "Slept with most of the Slytherin girls, had the very hot Pansy Parkinson fall in love with you, made the quidditch team, made Harry Potter's life here that much harder, become the most popular guy in Slytherin and, to top it off, your about to get a great job as England's quidditch coach!"

"I still can't shake the feeling something's missing," replied Draco, looking around him, trying to put what Blaise had said into context. Maybe he was right, maybe Draco shouldn't spend his last week at Hogwarts worrying and contemplating, maybe he should just spend it having fun until he is thrown into the adult world.

"Everyone's feeling that, but everyone else is just ignoring it," said Blaise, brandishing a hand over the crowded potions class room.

A giggle caught Draco's attention, it was soft and feminine, it sounded very familiar to him but he couldn't quite remember where he heard it from until he finally spotted its source. Hermione Granger was batting Ron Weasley's hand away as he continued to try and tickle her.

"See even that Granger has learnt to breathe easy and just have fun!" said Blaise, who was also looking over at the brown haired witch.

"Ron, stop it! You're so bad, stop!" laughed Hermione, Draco just rolled his eyes he really hated that mudblood having fun.

Suddenly the door flew open and Snape walked in, but not many took notice of him, it was the last week of school after all, even the scariest teachers had little power over the seventh year students.

"I have an announcement," said Snape in his spine shivering voice, everyone sat still and kept all their eyes on him, not daring to speak. "All year sevens are requested in the Great Hall," he swallowed hard, finding it hard to finish off his sentence. "For fun and games." He finished in a disgusted tone.

A dim whisper fluttered through the class room, Draco turned to Blaise but he just shrugged. Crabbe was saying something to Goyle and they both parted laughing. Draco turned to Granger; she was in the middle of a conversation with Potter and Weasley. She suddenly looked up, she had probably sensed Draco staring at her, the moment her eyes locked his he looked back at Crabbe who smiled stupidly at him.

"Quiet," Snape boomed and they all stopped talking, the room was consumed by a dead silence. "You will all follow me in an orderly manner to the hall; any toe out of the line will not be permitted to go!"

_God, Snape knows how to suck the fun out of things! _Draco thought.

They all obeyed, pushing his chair out from the desk quietly he quickly packed his unused potions book back into his leather bag and slung it over his shoulder. He paired up with Blaise and filed behind Snape who stood at the open dungeon door. Behind him stood Francesca Ricci and Pansy Parkinson, the only girl Draco called girlfriend, her parents were just as influential as his own in their circle of friends and it was only natural they got together. Soon he'll be getting married to her, but that idea scared Draco too much to think about.

They followed Snape silently as they weaved their way up from the dungeon to the great hall. Eventually they arrived at the huge double doors of the great hall, from the hall music emanated but it wasn't the choir or any of the teachers dance music but actual music that Draco knew, at that moment Bohemian like You by the Dandy Warhols sang out from the room. Excited whispers spread through the crowd as they wondered what was on the other side of the door.

Snape pushed the door open and Draco was floored by what he saw. There was only one long table to the right of the room and on it were thousands of different candies and large jugs of soda with large goblets surrounding them. Hufflepuff sat at then end closest to the door followed by the students in the blue robes – Ravenclaw, they both cheered happily. The music still played loudly through the speakers that suspended in the middle of the room. On the left there was a small purple tent with gold trimmings, but Draco couldn't see what was in it.

"Go sit," Snape said and Gryffindor rushed forward, someone almost knocked Draco over but he stabled himself just in time and just scowled after the unknown culprit. He walked calmly towards the table but everyone else walked much quicker and when he finally reached the table the only seats that were available were the ones closest to Gryffindor. He sat down in between Blaise and Pansy but it was only Blaise that separated Draco from Potter who sat next to Weasley, Granger sat across from them.

They all happily began to chow down on the food that was presented in front of them, all smiling happily to their friends. Draco began chewing down a handful of chocolate.

"Dumbledore sure knows how to send people off!" Blaise said, throwing a mouthful of every flavored beans into his mouth.

"I know! And I was dreading having to suffer through another boring potions lesson!" Leonard Corvine said from across the table Draco nodded in agreement, he had to make sure Snape wasn't listening before he answered.

"I wonder what's in that tent," Hermione said, Draco tried to block out her voice but it seemed impossible.

"I bet its Dumbledore telling us we're going to have to stay another year." Weasley replied, Draco just rolled his eyes, but both Granger and Potter chuckled hard. Draco scoffed and this caught Hermione's attention and she glared at him.

"Do you have a problem," she asked coldly.

"Hey Draco, try this!" Pansy cried breaking Granger's eye contact and probably defusing the tense situation, shoving a spoon of strawberry ice cream down his throat it surprised him to the point he had a hard time swallowing. 'Jerk' he heard Granger whisper to her friends.

"Delicious, right?" Pansy asked looking at Draco, she didn't even realize the situation she had just avoided, once Draco managed to swallow he nodded and Pansy smiled from ear to ear.

"Enjoying the party," called a voice from behind them, Draco turned and saw Dumbledore's wiry figure standing next to the purple tent. He smiled at them over his moon shaped glasses and everyone began to cheer 'thanks' in response. He waved away their gratitude and pointed at the tent.

"What is it," Neville Longbottom called, they all sniggered at him, not admitting they were just as curious to know.

"This is a tent Mr. Longbottom," Dumbledore replied and the table burst into laughter. "But I'm sure you meant to ask what was _inside_ the tent." Dumbledore added with a smile.

"Well, what is it," Draco asked impatiently.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, if you're so eager to find out, why don't you step inside," Dumbledore said calmly. Knowing that if he chickened out now the 'bad boy' image he had built up over seven years would crumble at his feet. Draco stood bravely from his chair and began to walk around the table, he caught Hermione's eye as she sneered up at him.

After his nerve racking walk towards he stood at the tent's entrance, he looked over at Dumbledore who just motioned for him to enter the tent. Draco felt his whole body tingle as he reached out and lifter the heavy velvet tent flap.

The music from outside had suddenly stopped and a mystical violin solo floated into his ears, followed by and eerie humming from a woman's mouth. In front of him stood a tall mirror, but at first Draco saw nothing incredible about it, its frame was made of stone with some ancient writing across the top but other then that it did what any other normal mirror did- reflect Draco's image.

"My father will hear about this," he said as he was about to turn to leave but suddenly something began to fade into sight in the mirror.

Hermione Granger stood their, her arms clasped around Draco's as she put her head on his shoulders, he turned around but on the real side of the mirror, Hermione wasn't actually next to him. She then leant over and kissed him on the cheek, as she did a group of small children began to fade into the picture, about five in total, only just up to Draco's thighs. They all smiled up at them, Draco could have sworn one yelled out 'Daddy' as it jumped from foot to foot. Some had long brown hair, like Hermione's but had Draco's piercing steel eyes. But other had Draco's platinum hair but Hermione's soft features.

"What is this," Draco muttered as he stumbled back out of the tent, his family slowly fading from site.

The somber music stopped and the upbeat music from outside played on. Everyone was staring expectantly at him, as he just stared open mouthed back at them.

"What do you think it was?" Dumbledore asked from his side and Draco turned around to face him.

"Shows something you fear," Draco guessed, his answer made the headmaster chuckle.

"I guess you saw something you didn't know you wanted," The old man said, as if he knew what Draco had seen.

"I don't want that!" Draco claimed.

"But this shows you your deepest desires, what ever saw is what you want," Albus Dumbledore said.

"What ever," Draco muttered as he quickly walked back to his seat.

"But this does _not_ show the future, remember that," Dumbledore said then he laughed merrily. "Have fun, all of you!" He then pointed his wand at the tent and muttered a spell and the name Ivory McClure suddenly appeared in gold writing along the tents outside, she was a sticklike Hufflepuff and apparently next to see what she deeply desired.

"Now this is to show you, before you go off and pursue your dreams, what exactly they truly are! Toodelo!" and with that he had suddenly disappeared from the room. Ivory jumped up from her seat and ran towards the tent but everyone had gone on eating, awaiting their go.

"What did you see?" Blaise asked, everyone on the table seemed to be listening to his reply but Draco just shook his head.

"Nothing worth repeating," Draco said as he looked down at his half eaten chocolate frog, he stole a sideways glance at Hermione as she leant in to talk to Weasley and Potter.

"It's the mirror of Erised," Potter said and Hermione furrowed her brow.

"You sure, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Positive, I would bet my quidditch cup on it!" Potter replied.

"Well then, you already know what you're going to see," Weasley commented, with a shrug of her shoulders Hermione leant back in her seat.

A hip hop song played through the speakers; most of year seven was now up and dancing the available space left in the hall. All seeming to have a good time, but Draco still sat at the table Blaise sat next to him but only because he had become bored with dancing already.

Draco watched glumly as everyone danced happily, most satisfied and not disturbed by what they saw, as far as he could see he was the only one who was disturbed by what he had seen in the magic mirror.

Suddenly slow music began to play though the sound system, Playground Love by Air, was the song. And it was at that moment he noticed Hermione. Her arms were wrapped around Weasley's as they danced together.

"Love is all, all my soul, you're my playground…" the speakers sang and Draco just watched as Hermione's head rested against Weasley's shoulder, their bodies touching, torso to torso. She wasn't hiding her smile as she slowly danced in a circle with that poor ginger haired. But what shocked Draco the most was that the fact of the site of them filled him with jealousy. Blaise had realized what Draco was staring and decided to comment on it.

"Now there's a couple you know is getting together," Blaise said, thinking he was doing Draco a favor. "You just know they were destined to be together forever."

"You think," Draco asked, looking over at his friend and Blaise nodded.

"I bet when they both look in that mirror they'll see the other hugging, a wedding band on their finger, children running in between their legs!" Blaise let out a snort and Draco just rolled his eyes, completely depressed.

Draco watched with a broken heart as Hermione moved her head from up off Ron's shoulder and looked at him, their faces mere inches apart! Her brown hair fell messily over her eyes; Ron stared at her as he reached his pale hand and brushed the strands from her eyes. She smiled kindly at him as she continued to dance with him – cheek to cheek.

"She's kind of pretty…" Blaise muttered, he had verbal run on! It was as if he felt it necessary for him to continue to talk. "The only thing that surprises me is her low standards! She could have anyone, even you if she tried, but hey we al know she hates you! And vise versa…" Blaise said with a snort, Draco just laughed weakly.

The tent's name suddenly read out 'Ronald Weasley', Ron reluctantly drew away from Hermione and made his way to the tent. The hall had taken to cheering out the name of the next person to look in the mirror.

"Ronald," they all sang! He ran through the cheering crowd up to the mirror then disappeared inside. Hermione and Harry, both laughing pushed their way through the crowd and over to the table, they sat down almost directly opposite from Draco and Blaise.

"So you saw the same thing you saw seven years ago?" Hermione was asking Harry reaching across and pouring pumpkin juice into a goblet.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised though…" Harry replied. "I'm actually sort of glad; I wouldn't be able to handle another deep want." Hermione laughed lightly.

"What do you think Ron will see?" Hermione asked casually, glancing sideways at her friend.

"Last time he saw himself winning the house and quidditch cup… who knows what he'll see now – seeing as we've won both of those," Harry replied, he then threw a bean at Hermione. "Don't worry about it Hermione, we all know who he'll end up with!" Hermione blushed and looked away laughing childishly. She caught Draco's eyes and was about to say something when Ron came running up to them. Both Potter and Hermione turned around and looked at him.

"Well, it wasn't the house cup, I can tell you that!" Weasley replied Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled. Ron sat on the other side of Hermione and then noticed that Draco and Blaise were sitting opposite.

"Hermione!" the crowd cheered, she looked up and Harry laughed, pushing her off the chair.

"I guess it's your turn to look in the mirror," Harry laughed and Hermione stumbled into the crowd as they patted her back.

"So what you see?" Harry asked grabbing chocolate muffin.

"The love of my life," Ron said with a shrug.

"Who, Professor Flitwick?" Harry teased Ron threw some popcorn at him.

"Who do you think, you silly git! It was-" Ron had begun but Blaise interrupted.

"Carry on that conversation much further down the table! We're not very interested!" he shunned. The two boys just shrugged and scooted to the farthest end of the table. Draco turned and gave Blaise a dirty look before he turned to see if he could read lips – he couldn't.

"I bet I'll see myself rolling in piles of cash with two beautiful…" Blaise began but Draco was ignoring him and looking down at Potter and Weasley, waiting for Hermione to appear.

_What is Hermione seeing in the mirror?_ He asked himself. _Is she seeing the same thing I did?_

Hermione emerged from the crowd and came face to face with Draco, her smile was so wide that Draco felt his heart leap, He felt his muscles contract as he prepared to stand up and bring Hermione into his arms, and at that moment he realized that the mirror was right He did love Hermione! And it had obviously shown her that she loved him because at that moment she was smiling broadly down at him. He watched as her dark lips parted and Draco's heart jumped around merrily.

"Draco, I love you!" she would cry and he would stand up and seize her in his strong arms, hugging her tightly – vowing to never let her go! Then he would kiss her deeply taking pleasure in the way she tasted, and at that moment he would know true happiness!

He felt himself as he began to lift off from his seat as Hermione's lips began to part, it was all happening in slow motion, as if his soul had lifted from his body and was now staring down at the pair of them, smiling from ear to ear.

Her lips still help their smiled as she finally spoke, Draco fully standing and prepared to scoop her into his arms.

"Do you know where Ron and Harry went?" she asked, still smiling. Draco felt his stomach turn inside out and his throat as it pound into his throat and shattered into a million pieces! He felt his arms tingle and his smile droop to a frown. He realized he was now standing looking at Hermione with tears welling up in his eyes. He roughly grabbed for a handful of popcorn and plunked hard back down on the seat, something that would probably hurt but at that moment all his senses were dulled.

_She hadn't seen us… she doesn't want to be with me…_ his mind finally muttered as it stared up at Hermione. She still smiled blissfully; she had obviously seen something she knew she had wanted! _Did she see herself with Weasley? _But his mind was still reeling form the shock of his emotional blow that it couldn't come up with an answer.

"They moved further down," Blaise replied, pointing to the two boys. Hermione thanked him and began to run down the table to where they sat. She fell down onto the seat next to Ron; she smiled broadly, looking overjoyed. The three of them were sharing words and Draco finally read Hermione's lips as she said calmly.

"I'm not telling!" and then she broke out into a laugh, grabbing for a chocolate frog.

Draco felt anger and jealousy begin to mix with his feelings of sorrow as he watched Hermione's soft hair fall round her face once more. He watched as she laughed when Ron, again, swept it from her smiling eyes.

"I'm not going to give you up so easily," Draco seethed as he stared down at their happy little group.

"What did you say?" Blaise asked ignorantly.

Draco turned to glare at him at suddenly Blaise became worried for his friend. Draco brushed a few loose strands from his furious eyes they linked with Blaise's uneasy ones, he let out a small breath and with the anger and misery still evident in his voice his began to explain everything.


	2. Could she ever grow to trust me?

_**(A/N) Thanks for all your great reviews, I hope you like the next chapter as much as the last one! In this chapter, Hagrid is the DADA teacher now, Yay for him! And Slytherin and Gryffindor have DADA together, as well as Potions.**_

Blaise looked gob smacked, and didn't stop looking shocked and appalled until he flopped down on his dorm bed next to Draco's. His black beady eyes were round with shock as he sat there in silence for a few moments.

"You love… _Granger_?" Blaise clarified once he had gotten his voice back.

"I know it's wretched!" said Draco, falling back onto his green bed linen, smothering his face in his hands.

"Now, we're talking… real love, right? I mean marriage, baby, car, dishwasher…" said Blaise.

"Dishwasher, why the hell would 'real love' have anything to do with a dishwasher?" cried Draco.

"Well I don't know what you married couples want these days," explained Blaise, Draco sat up again and Blaise shrugged at him.

"Hey, no one has gotten married yet!" Draco pointed out, getting up to the trunk at the end of his bed, lifting up the lid he came face to face with a full bottle of clear Smirnoff. He picked it up and unscrewed the lid and after taking a large swig from it he added. "I doubt she even wants to…"

"Yeah, that's true," Blaise said and Draco just stared at his friend. "I mean she does hate you, and up until twenty minutes ago I thought you hated her too!"

"Thanks Blaise," Draco said sarcastically throwing the bottle at his friend who caught it, taking a gulp himself.

"Also, I thought she and Ron were falling in love," Blaise finished. "You know, destined to be together and all that shit."

_Why the hell did I even tell him? _Draco asked himself as Blaise took another large gulp from his Smirnoff.

"Oi, enough vodka for you!" Draco said snatching the bottle away and tossing it back in his trunk.

"Hey, hurry up or you'll be late for Defence against the dark arts!" Goyle shouted from the other side of the door. The two boys groaned at the thought.

"I used to like that subject until Dumbledore let that blundering oaf, Hagrid teach it!" Blaise said, taking off his school robes he had worn out to their first class. The day had become much hotter since the morning and now Draco felt his own woollen jumper stick to his arms and torso. He slid it off and threw it on the bed before running out of the room after Blaise.

The hot weather made the crowded room even smaller, all of the students lounged in their chairs finding moving too much effort in the weather. Pansy, who sat on Draco's left, had made herself a fan out of some of her parchment and was now lazily fanning the back of her neck with it. Even Blaise didn't bother showing off or jerking around because of the hot weather.

Draco longed to go back to his room and slip on his swimming trunks before he ran off towards the cold and inviting water of the black lake's shores. Maybe that's all he needed to get Hermione off his mind. He looked over at her, she, Harry and Ron were chucking crumpled up pieces of parchment at the back of Longbottom's head lazily, they didn't even bother stopping when Longbottom turned around and glared at them.

"Sorry I'm late," Hagrid said at the door, everyone turned around to look at the giant who barely fit through the door way. The bearded man stood near the door and held up a sack, Draco figured what ever was in that sack was their lesson for today. Hagrid didn't even bother coming into the room he just stood at the entrance level, blocking out all the natural sun. "Took a bit o' time gatherin' up all yer bathing suits!" he explained, jiggling the bag around.

Everyone looked at each other before staring back at Hagrid who beamed at them all through his long thick beard.

"Hagrid," Hermione called out. "Are you saying you're taking us swimming?"

"Shouldn't bother tryin' to teach yer anythin'! It's to darn hot!" Hagrid said, he then pointed to the space in front of him. "Make one line please, no shovin' and I'll get yer changed."

As Draco and the rest of the class sprung up from their seats and began to run towards Hagrid the giant had found his pink umbrella in one of his pockets and looked down at the student who stood at the head of the line – Seamus Finnigan. Hagrid pointed the end of his umbrella at Finnigan and muttered a simple decloaking spell and suddenly Finnigan's uniform melted away, everyone stared with bated breath all expecting that when the uniforms were gone Finnigan would stand butt naked in front of everyone. But when they black pants and white blouse had gone he was wearing red swimming trunks. Everyone burst out into cheers as the line quickly moved. Finally they were all changed, Hagrid handed them a beach towel each, the Gryffindor's towels were red and the Slytherin's were green.

_How surprising_, Draco thought as he rolled his towel into a roll.

"Now off with yer," Hagrid said and they all went off at a run towards the Lake.

The lake sparkled like a gem under the clear midday sun; everyone laid their towels out along the shore. So glad to be able to soak up the sun's ryas instead of cramped in the dark class room. Draco lay on his back next to Blaise who was checking out all the Slytherin girls who sat around them, all in bikinis. But Draco was looking around for Hermione.

There were screams and shouts from the other side of the bay, Draco sat up and looked toward the source of the noise. A few Gryffindor boys, Potter, Weasley, Longbottom and Dean Thomas, were beginning to push a few Gryffindor girls along the pier into the water below. Padma Patil was at the head of the group as Longbottom pushed her along the wooden boards, her identical twin, Pavarti Patil, was being dragged by Thomas just behind. Lavender Brown was lifted into Potter's arms as he quickly moved to the end of the pier. At the end of the group Ron had his arms wrapped around Hermione's waist as she thrashed around in loud laughter that lifted high into the air and mixed with the other girls' high pitched squeals. With a huge splash Pavarti and Padma fell into the water laughing, Potter followed quickly behind and dumped Lavender in behind the two Indian twins. As Weasley and Granger made their way to the end of the pier, everyone was cheering Weasley on not to let Hermione go. When he finally let Hermione go she teetered on the edge, her arms flailing around like a young bird learning to fly.

"Ron, help!" she cried, Weasley broke down and reached out his hand for Hermione to stabilise herself with, but she grabbed it and then jumped off backwards, taking Ron with her. Everyone cheered and laughed, especially the girls, as Weasley's head emerged from the water, Hermione's following shortly after.

Time had passed quickly, before Draco knew it an hour had passed by and he still hadn't gone into the water, he had been to busy as he watched Hermione frolic in the water with all her friends. Hagrid ha come down and checked on them, he now sat in a circle of Gryffindors as he babbled on about something. He realised that the only Gryffindors who weren't there were actually, Hermione and Weasley. He sat up straight and frantically searched for them.

Weasley could be proposing to her at this exact moment, his mind fretted as he quickly scanned the sand. Finally his eyes fell on the pair; they were standing alone underneath the pier.

"Oi Crabbe, Goyle, follow me!" Draco yelled, that's all the instruction they needed, they both sprang from their seat and stood next to Draco as he strode toward the pier. They waded through the large group who still played around in the water and finally Draco stood on the outside of the group, looking at Hermione. She had her back up against one of the thick wooden pillars that held the pier up; she was smiling sweetly at Weasley as the red head began to wring his hands. She then reached her hand out and put her hand softly against Weasley's cheek. Draco waded as fast as he could over to the pair.

"So… will you come to the Goodbye dance with me in a few days," Ron blurted out, Draco tried to quicken his pace.

Hermione's smile dropped for a second then picked back up brightly. "I would love to go with you." She replied and that was when Draco finally arrived, a little too late it would seem.

"Oh look what we have here, two lovebirds spending a quiet moment together!" Draco teased. Hermione's eyes stopped smiling and now fumed at him, if he really wanted her to fall in love with him – this probably wasn't the direction he should be going. She crossed her arms protectively over herself as she watched Weasley turn around.

"Buzz off, you prat," Weasley said, he turned and put his hand on Hermione's back , they both turned t leave but with a quick motion of his hand Goyle stood in front of them, Crabbe stood behind them.

"Off so soon, the party's only just starting!" Draco said with a forced laugh. Hermione stepped forward and stared into Draco darkly, her brown eyes linked with his and Draco began to find it hard to breath, she continued to stare at him and Draco's mind tried to go wandering into her own, to try and feel what she felt, to try and think what she thought. But all he could see was the hut he had caused her and the hate she had for him, this was not really what he wanted her to feel, but he couldn't go back to the past and undo all the things he had done to her.

_Can she tell that I'm sorry for all I've done?_ He asked himself.

Draco finally decided what he would do, he took a step back and gave room for Hermione to leave, with a smile he watched her begin to walk off, he stepped forward again just before Weasley left and gave him a hard threatening stare, and he pointed his finger right in Weasley's face.

"You watch your back," Draco threatened before he stepped back again and Weasley rushed away. Draco turned and watched as Hermione dashed out from behind someone in the crowd she had obviously been hiding behind.

"What did he say to you?" Hermione asked, glancing back and meeting Draco's eyes and then back to Weasley's.

"He's just a sod," Weasley said with a shrug, he then took Hermione's hand in his hands and then he added. "Don't let him spoil our day."

Hermione sighed and they began to walk off again, hand in hand, which swarmed Draco's stomach with jealous butterflies.

"You know some days I think he hates me," Hermione said, it was getting harder to hear her as she walked up towards Potter and Hagrid. "But others I actually think he likes me!"

"That's ridiculous," her heard Ron say but then Draco couldn't hear anything else, they were out of earshot. Draco slapped the surface of the water with force before he stormed back towards his blanket.

He had tried! He had tried to stop Hermione and Weasley's romance from going any further but he was too late. She was now going to the last dance of the year with that poor idiot and Draco was certain that Weasley was going to purpose to her then!

_She might reject him and then fall into my arms,_ his mind thought but that was not going to happen. He finally reached the shore and looked over towards Gryffindor and immediately locked with Hermione's eyes as she gazed at him, her eyes expressed something that Draco couldn't recognise on her features… but for once it wasn't anger.

_There's always a chance…_ he thought happily as he went back to his towel.


	3. When your hand touched mine

_**The third chapter has come, hope you like it! Thanks for reading this story, and the reviews are VERY encouraging! Oh, btw, I did a trailer for this fiction on youtube, check it out it's under "Could We Really Be" … Big surprise, lol. Anyway, review purdy please!**_

Draco walked into the coffee shop, heaving off his heavy rain coat, today was a rare day for the end of July as it was raining quite heavily with cold gusty winds. He walked up to the counter and ordered an espresso, to make up for the many sleepless nights he had as he thought of Hermione. When he finally had his coffee in his hand, Draco turned and was about to sit down when he spotted someone.

Hermione sat at a small circular table that looked out onto the town's road; the window she gazed out of had water pouring down it, distorting her refection. She had large bags spread around her chair, a scroll of parchment in front of her as she twiddled with her quill pen and glanced down at her large steaming coffee.

Draco walked over to her table and flashed a stunning smile, something that would make most girls melt! Hermione just looked up at him and furrowed her brow.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She asked, her eyes glancing around the room as if she was trying to form an escape plan. He gave her a little chuckle as he helped himself to the seat across from her.

"Just to say hi," Draco replied casually, hanging his dripping coat on the back of his seat and placing his coffee across from Hermione's. She stared at him in silence, her expression blank. Draco smiled weakly and said, "Hi."

"Hi, Malfoy," She replied giving him a quick smile before turning back to her parchment. "Go away now."

"What are you writing there?" He asked casually, sitting back in his chair.

"Shopping list," Hermione replied curtly, but Draco was thankful she was talking to him at all!

"Yeah, I can see you've already done some shopping," Draco said and Hermione glanced up at him.

"Wow, you _are_ smart," she said, even from her lowered head he could tell she was sarcastically raising her eyebrows.

He leant forward and tried to sneak a peak at what she had on her parchment. It was hard to read upside down but he could make out a few things:

Pink Dress, check fittings

Buy silver shoes

Book manicure

Confirm hair appointment

Send letter home

Pick up cat food

"Getting all dolled up?" Draco asked, smiling at her as she looked up at him, giving him an expression that said: _What, are you stupid?_

"The dance…" She pointed out and Draco could have died of embarrassment. "Its in two days, everyone is far more prepared then me, but Ron only gave me a week's notice." She gave him a shy smile, she obviously realised she was talking too much.

"Yeah, Weasley asked you to go with him, right?" Draco clarified, covering his jealous scowl by taking a drink of his espresso.

"You were there," she said in a matter of fact tone. Their eyes met and both looked away, blushing madly. "You're taking Parkinson, I presume." Hermione said after a long uncomfortable silence.

"Yes, she's had this night planned out since she started Hogwarts, it takes a load of pressure off me," Draco said with a shrug, Hermione giggled slightly before looking back out the window.

"So you two are getting married when you leave Hogwarts?" She asked, turning back to him and taking a sip of her coffee.

"That's what our parents want," Draco said. "I guess I will be marrying her, buying a mansion, have kids and send them to Hogwarts. It's all in the plan…" he then turned and asked her. "What's in the books for you and Weasley?"

"All I know is that we've been the best of friends for a very long time," Hermione said, she was unable to contain her grin, this made Draco's stomach churn. "And lately things have been a bit more then friendly."

_I really hate the thought of Weasley with Hermione_, Draco thought bitterly.

"Can I ask you something," said Hermione in a serious tone, Draco sat up straight and nodded, his face grave. She broke out into a laugh but then went ahead and asked the question. "What's it like to have your _whole_ life planned out for you, your every moved planned by someone _else_?" she asked, looking straight into his eyes.

"Its fine, I've spent my whole life following my father's set path for me, Hogwarts, Slytherin, hating Gryffindors, Pansy, good job," Draco shrugged. "It's a cold world, and it's hard to struggle through it on your own, I just follow the easy path."

Hermione was shaking her head. "If you have friends and someone who loves you, then the path you forge yourself isn't all that hard!" she insisted, her voice full of passion.

"Easy for you to say, you're used to being loved, you've got great friends, you're brave and you're loyal! I'm nothing like that…" Draco admitted, Hermione looked at him with concern. She reached across the table and placed her hand on top of his.

"You have the potential, you just need to reach inside and get it!" She said and smiled sweetly at him. Draco's heart could have soared in pure delirium, as she gazed into his eyes with a smile that he had only seen her use with Potter and Weasley.

_She's actually smiling at me! She's holding my hand and smiling at me!_ Draco's heart screamed as it beat quickly.

Suddenly her phone rang loudly and her hand slipped from his and his heart sank back down into his stomach as she dove for her phone. She put her long brown hair behind her ear as she put her black sleek phone up to it.

"Yello," she said down the phone. "Harry, hey! I'm shopping for the dance, of course. Oh sure, what time? Wow, that's quick, ok, yeah. I'll be there, is Ron coming? Ok, cool, I'll see you soon. Bye Harry." She clicked the phone off and smiled apologetically over at Draco.

"Hey, go," Draco said. Hermione stood up and folded her list, putting it in her coat's pocket; she slipped it on and gathered up her shopping bags.

"I'll see you around," she said before dashing out of the coffee shop. Draco watched her through the rain as she ran off down the street.

_Well_, he thought, smiling smugly, _that went very well! I think she likes me!_


	4. Our Dark Waltz

_**The final chapter! Dum dum dummmm! He-he, who is Hermione going to choose for her one and only love? Thanks for all the feedback; it has certainly been the thing keeping me going on this project! I hope you like the way this ends! May be a little cliché and romantic in parts (forgive me for that)...**_

Draco glanced at his watch for the seventh time in the last five minutes, tapping the end of his quill on the table. He tapped his feet agitatedly, as he longed for the last period to finish. Everyone around him was being very sentimental, even Longbottom had snivelled when Snape reminded them that this would be their last lesson together. For it _was_ their last _ever_ lesson, on their last ever _day_, in their last ever _year_ at Hogwarts!

In fifteen minutes the bell would ring and all the girls will rush screaming from the room to start getting ready for the final ball, and that will be the last evening spent in the magical Castle, the next day they will have all boarded the train back to platform 9 ¾ by lunch time to start their adult life!

But Draco wasn't dwelling on these thoughts, and as much as he liked Snape, he wasn't going to miss his lessons. Nor was Draco going to miss his dorm room, or the Slytherin common room, not even Crabbe and Goyle! All Draco's mind contemplated during his last minutes of school was one particular witch!

Hermione Granger sat on the other side of the room, she was talking to Potter and Weasley, as per usual, and Draco suspected that she getting rather emotional. The three of them had been friends ever since first year, and even when Hermione squabbled with the two boys, they always looked out for each other. Draco had never really known that kind of friendship, not even with Crabbe and Goyle (his faithful body guards), Pansy would do anything for him, but that wasn't mutual… He may have something close to that with Blaise Zabinni, who sat next to him, as usual, and who was just staring up at Snape with a bored expression.

"Are we friends," asked Draco, quite surprised with him for asking such a personal question.

"Oh no, not you too; _everyone_ is getting sappy!" exclaimed Blaise.

"I'm serious, Blaise," admitted Draco, looking away from Blaise's inquisitive eyes.

"Yeah, I think we are, I mean I've got your back when you need me… do you have mine?" Blaise asked, Draco considered this for a moment, realising that he actually would be there to back Blaise up if he ever needed to.

"Yes, I believe I would," Draco said, and Blaise laughed a bit.

"Ok, well, now that that's settled… why did you ask?" he asked Draco, Draco gave an unconvincing shrug.

"Just been on my mind, that's all," he mumbled, looking away from Blaise and down at his watch for the _eighth_ time.

"It's because of Granger isn't it? She's got you whipped, and she doesn't even know it," Blaise snorted, Draco glared up at him.

"I don't think we should be talking about that right now!" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down, he realised that Blaise was staring at Hermione. "Stop that!" he cried out, turning and noticing that Hermione had looked over and saw Blaise looking over at her! And that meant she had seen him when he embarrassingly cried out for Blaise to _stop_ looking at her.

_Oh god, she must think I'm nutters!_ Draco thought shaking his head and feeling his cheeks flush.

Blaise gave a little wave in Hermione's direction and Draco grabbed hold of his hand and whipped it down on the stone bench top.

"Stop it," he demanded staring furiously into Blaise's eyes, "Or you won't have a hand left, got it?"

Blaise gulped. "Got it…" he mumbled, Draco let go of his hand and Blaise straightened out his robes. "She wasn't even looking when I waved…" he added but Draco gave him a warning frown and Blaise shut up.

"Well then, I shall see you all at the Ball," Snape said coldly, snapping his large potion book closed.

As if Snape had planned it the bell rang out through the class room. But strangely everyone didn't know what to do… they didn't rush out cheering, wailing or screaming… they just sat there, staring. All colour had drained from their faces, Draco felt fear creep into his belly and jump around, making Draco feel quite sick! It was finally hitting them - the importance and significance of what they were actually about to do, leave their home for the last seven years of their life and start on making a life for themselves.

Longbottom started sobbing, (_you think he would have been able to get a hold of himself_, Draco though bitterly.) and Seamus Finnigan started to pat his back comfortingly.

"Go on, leave," Snape ordered, waving them out impatiently. They packed their bags up silently. As Draco slowly filed out behind everyone else, he took a last glance at the class room, its stone walls and deep dark cauldrons looking suddenly so homely to him.

The whole class stood on the other side of Snape's closed dungeon door, still looking quite awed and slightly petrified. After a long deafening silence someone in the crowd cheered out.

"We've done it!"

And for some reason it was enough to get everyone riled back up again, everyone started to turn and hug each other, chanting the same three words. He looked over and saw Hermione yelling the words also, her arms wrapped around Potter and Weasley, who hugged her back.

"We've done it!" Blaise yelled with the crowd, turning around and beaming at Draco who beamed back, also cheering. They suddenly grabbed each other's hands and began to chant the words, over an over, with the group, jumping up and down.

Draco now sat lazily on his dorm bed gazing up at the ceiling, still stuck in his happy delirium. From outside on the grounds he could still hear happy cheers from the rest of the year.

The hot sun shone through the window and warmed Draco and his bed as he looked out at the clear blue sky.

"It's going to be cold tonight," Blaise commented lazily from his bed. Draco turned his head and looked at his friend, Blaise shrugged – "Just saying..."

"Ok, you've had too much alcohol," Draco said, leaning over and taking the nearly empty bottle of Smirnoff from Blaise's hands and taking a swig from it himself.

"Hey, I haven't," Blaise stumbled on his words. "I haven't drunk that much!I-I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your friend, that's why I at least want you to be able to walk in a straight line to the hall, so I'm cutting you off." Draco said plainly.

"Am I that bad," Blaise asked, a look of concern spread across his face, it was understandable – this was a very important dance tonight...

"You'll sober up in the next few hours until the dance," replied Draco as he got up from his bed and continued to try and get his clothes folded and in order, so he could easily pack them tomorrow before he had to leave.

"Just thinking about this dance makes my stomach flip..." Blaise muttered, Draco just tried to ignore him, but it was hard. "I can only imagine what you're feeling, Draco!"

Draco groaned, _oh Blaise – you have no idea!_

"I'm trying not to think about it," Draco said with a shrug. He was really just trying to keep his thoughts simple, not daring to go past 8:00pm tonight when the dance actually started.

"What if Granger says no?" Blaise asked.

Draco groaned, _shut up Blaise!_

"I'm trying not to think about it,' Draco said, Blaise opened his mouth to speak but Draco raised his hand to silent him. "_So_, that mean's no talking about it..." Blaise gave a motion of zipping his lips.

Draco turned back to his pile of unfolded clothes and continued to fold them, basking in the pleasant silence. He knew it wouldn't last long – Blaise had a thirst for knowledge, he would be asking about Hermione in a few moments.

As if on cue – "So what if Granger says no?" Blaise asked.

"I can't think about that..." Draco muttered, he continued to try and fold the same black t-shirt but it was no use, he would just have to give up folding clothes and continue to talk about Hermione. He dropped the black shirt on top of the large pile of clothing and dropped down on his bed, looking Blaise straight in the eyes.

"Why can't you think about it?" Blaise asked him as he searched around his pockets, finally pulling out as long thin cigarette, he lit up and blew out a smoke ring, Draco watched the smoke as it lifted further up towards the ceiling.

"If I think about the possibility that the one girl I love with the bottom of my heart is going to say no to me..." Draco looked out the window and sighed heavily. "I won't be able to tell Hermione what I feel for her if I think she'll pick Weasley instead!"

"If she does choose that poor flea bag over you,' Blaise said with a shrug, "Well it just wasn't meant to be!"

Draco looked down at the green grounds, trying desperately to ignore Blaise and... Could it be? He could actually see _Hermione_ _Granger_ as she walked along the grass. She was alone and even from a distance he could see her auburn hair blow behind her and glint in the sun. Draco put his hand to the glass and traced an outline of her with the end of one of his fingers. She suddenly stopped and turned around; you can guess who she stopped for... Weasley and Potter ran up to her and after a few moments of standing around they walked off towards Gryffindor.

_I hope she doesn't choose Weasley, I'll never move on from her..._ Draco thought as he turned to Blaise. Blaise stared with a sympathetic smile playing at the corner of his mouth, he knew Draco hated to have people feel sorry for him. Blaise just handed Draco the cigarette with a shrug. Draco took it form his hands and took a deep breath. When he exhaled he thought – _She's the love of my life..._

_**(A/N) Here comes the dance! Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster!**_

Draco stood in front of the full length mirror that was mounted on the wall between his own bed and Blaise's. He was still trying to brush his platinum hair out of his eyes as the minutes to the dance ticked by (15 to go) and he would have to risk everything and admit his feelings to Hermione.

"Jesus Draco, hurry the hell up!" Blaise moaned as he began to tie up his shiny black shoes.

"I have to look superb tonight," Draco said giving his hair a final brush before turning around. "If I look like some poor guy in hand me down robes she might get confused and just marry Weasley anyway." He heard Blaise snigger.

"When you get married to that Gryffindor princess," Draco detected a hint of distain in his voice. "You won't forget about your Slytherin buddies, right?"

"No I won't," assured Draco, as he slipped on his own black leather shoes, making sure that Blaise wasn't paying attention he took out his long black wand and slipped it in his sock, after making sure no one would be able to see it through his pants, Draco sat back up again.

"Are you still taking Parkinson?" asked Blaise and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, unfortunately it was too late to cancel on our date," Draco replied, and then he added. "And anyway – I need a fall back girl in case Hermione rejects me."

"Ah, a true romantic!" exclaimed Blaise sarcastically, Draco just glanced at his friend who sat on his bed smirking. "Are you nervous?"

With a grown he replied, "How many times do I have to tell you not to ask me that?"

"Ok, ok! I get it, Draco; I'll shut up about Granger!" Blaise said throwing his hands in the air. The both of them stood at the same time and went to the edge of the bed where both their black cloaks hung. "All I can say is I'm _really_ nervous about the formal dance we have to do at the beginning!" Blaise said as he threw his coat around his shoulders, doing up the silver buckle.

"Oh god, same!" Draco said as he too put on his heavy black coat. "All I can say is that I hope I don't trip."

"I know what you mean!" Blaise said as the pair of them walked to the door leading out of their dorm room. Blaise reached out and opened the door but stopped before he left the room. "I just wanted to say, before things get hectic, well I wanted to wish you luck."

Draco gave his friend a small smile before they both walked through the door.

They both walked out into the dark stone room of the Slytherin common room, they saw Pansy clenching and unclenching her fists as she paced in front of the fire place. She would have looked almost beautiful in her green silk dress that clung to her in all the right places and small grey wolf draped around her shoulders if she didn't look like she was about to foam at the mouth. She spotted Draco and Blaise walk in through the stone archway and pounced.

"You're late! The dance is starting in three minutes and it'll take us ten minutes to get there!" She yelled, Draco tried to step back behind Blaise but Pansy had reached out and grabbed him around the arm. "Oh no, you don't! We have to go to the ball!" and with that she marched him through the common room and out the porthole to the long corridor.

"If we are late because you decided to take too long..." Pansy began to rant but Draco wasn't listening, he was looking out into the sparkling night sky, Blaise had been right – it was very cold!

They arrived at the entry to the hall and realised it was packed! They had to squeeze past a few Hufflepuffs who didn't manage to get dates so they could get to the door. Surrounding the door stood four other people, two of them Draco could stand to talk two, the other two, he hated! Crabbe and Goyle stood talking next to each other and Potter and Weasley were next to them, also talking.

Crabbe and Goyle waved at Draco and Pansy once they had seen them, and motioned for them to join them. Faced with the possibility of a cancelled dance Pansy rushed up to them and started interrogating them.

_Why are we asking these two, they're as stupid as rocks!_ Draco thought.

"Why is the hall closed," Pansy shrieked, she had begun to wring her hands.

"They said they couldn't start anything until everyone was here," Goyle responded. Pansy turned and shot Draco an accusing glare before turning back to ask Goyle and Crabbe some more questions. Draco began to get bored with their 'I don't knows' he turned and began to search the crowd for Hermione.

He glanced over at Potter and Weasley, as soon as he glanced at Weasley his stomach twisted in hate. The poor man looked incredibly happy as he talked to his best friend.

Draco eavesdropped. "Ginny helped me pick it out, it was a little expensive but I can afford it once I start up at the ministry." The red head was saying, Draco wished he knew what they were talking about. Weasley again wore the stupid frilly dress robes he had worn at the Yule ball, his long red hair been combed out of his long face.

Suddenly a face popped up next to him, and Draco's heart literally stopped. Hermione's brown hair hung down near her elbows, her dress a reddish pink, it had a full skirt that had been puffed up by tulle. She was smiling as she looked at her two best friends. Draco stared in amazement as she threw her head back with a laugh, a laugh that was almost whimsical. As Potter started a new topic to the one they had been talking about before Hermione arrived, she looked over at Draco. Their eyes connected and she gave him a smile, it was only a small smile but a smile was a large improvement from the scowls she usually gave him.

Draco began to smile back but Prf. McGonagall suddenly appeared at the door to the hall and he jumped back in shock, he almost tripped over and had to be supported by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, for that most extravagant welcoming," Prf. McGonagall said down to him, she then looked out over the crowd. Everyone looked up at her expectantly, the dance should have started ten minutes ago and when you are spending your _last_ night at Hogwarts, every moment was sacred! "The last of the party has arrived and you can now enter the hall in an orderly fashion." She said calmly.

_I hope I'm not the last of the party_, Draco thought as McGonagall stepped away from the doors.

With a tap of her wand the doors slowly began to open to reveal the large dining hall that had been decorated just for that event, the whole hall was decked out in blue and gold, the tables were not the normal four long tables but were now twenty small circular tables. Spread from wall to wall was a floating banner that sparkled the words 'We'll miss you!" and in the middle of the hall was a dance floor that was surrounded by huge candles. The ceiling was its usual night sky, and it seemed to be snowing! But the specks that fell were not snowflakes but particles of light!

He felt Pansy wrap her arms around him, he turned and saw her smile from ear to ear. They walked over to a table with Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise and his date Goldie Franklin.

At the front of the hall Professor Flitwick and the junior band were already setting up to start playing the opening song. Pansy had tortured Draco by making him practice the dance with her over and over again. Right now Pansy was slipping off her animal fur onto her seat and adjusting her hair that had been curled like those 1930s muggles. Draco looked around and saw that no one was sitting but gearing up to do the dance.

A small fifth year Ravenclaw girl began to play her violin, it wasn't a tune that Draco had practiced to but it was ten times as beautiful, Draco reached out and took Pansy's hand and they calmly walked out onto the dance floor.

"Remember the steps, Draco," she warned before she placed his hand on her hip and the other at his eye level.

"I'll never be able to forget them, they've been burned into my brain," Draco muttered bitterly, Pansy let out a snigger as the rest of the choir joined in and they all started to dance.

"Dance me into the night, underneath the moon shining so bright, turning me into the light," sang a very tall Slytherin sixth year.

_Step left, step right, 1, 2, 3, step left, step right and twirl your partner, 1, 2, 3._ Draco revised as Pansy glided along with him. _To the outside world we probably look perfect together. _That thought depressed him – it was so wrong!

He looked next to him to see who he would have to be dancing with next, for that was a part of the dance (swap your partner – rotating left to right). He saw Weasley's red hair first; he then saw how Weasley's hand was placed on the small of Hermione's back. He watched in horror as Weasley spun her out and when she twirled back in there lips were mere inches apart, and getting closer.

"Ok," Pansy whispered in his ear. "Switch partners." Draco gladly twirled Pansy away and turned to his left where Weasley was regrettably spinning Granger away. And when he realised who Hermione was about to dance with, his face turned bright red, he even tried to grab hold of Hermione again, but he was too slow and Draco grabbed hold of her hand first, twirling her in.

"Why hello there, Draco," she laughed as she easily danced with Draco.

_Now we are a perfect fit_, then as an after thought – _no matter how it looks to the outside._

"You're a very good dancer, I suspect Pansy made you practice," she said with a laugh.

"Every day," Draco said with a sigh, he subtly drew Hermione in closer. "I'm probably one of the _only_ people who are glad to be doing this idiotic dance – it signifies the end of practising for it! You're a very good dancer, did _you_ practice?"

"No, I'm a girl! I'm naturally good at this!" she exclaimed, Draco laughed at her reply. He liked the feeling of her silk dress under his hands as they danced to the music.

"I like dancing with you," admitted Draco as she smiled sweetly at him.

"Yeah, me too..." she replied quietly, looking down at the floor.

His hand slowly moved from her back to just above her hip, slowly his hands moved down and his hand gently brushed her bottom. She let out an awkward laugh and stepped back, taking Draco's hands in her own and placing them in front of him.

"Draco, what are you doing?" she asked, Draco just stood still, his mouth opening in closing in shock.

"I – Hermione, I just..." he stammered.

"Look, it's time to change partners, Draco; I can't..." she stalled then with a huge sigh she finished. "Can't _dance_ with you anymore." With those words Hermione spun off to the next dancer and Draco was dancing with Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff. He looked over at Weasley and saw that he was furious, his eyes blazed with enough fury that made Draco quiver.

_God, he had seen..._ Draco thought. He looked to his right and saw Hermione dancing with Troy Beckman (a Ravenclaw), she looked over at him and the look in her eyes... it was as if they were pleading him to do something.

_What do you want me to do? Take you away from Weasley? Or leave you alone forever?_ He wanted to ask, but he was worried if he looked at Hermione any longer then Weasley was going to kill him. But Draco did have his wand, which now pressed against this ankle, begging to be used. _Not yet..._

The dance continued on with Draco doing his best to ignore the looks Weasley gave him, finally it ended with Pansy back in his arms. He secretly thanked Pansy for making him know the dance movements off by heart, if he had to keep worrying about his steps _and_ if Weasley was going to turn around and start strangling him at moment – he would be a wreck!

They all walked back to their circular tables and sat down, all looking up at Dumbledore who was standing at the podium, his eyes twinkling as he gazed down at his students.

"Well, you've all survived!" said Dumbledore and everyone laughed. "I bet you doubted you could, but I had faith in every one of you. And you all managed to excel my expectations each year and have made shoes very large to fill for next years students. So please, enjoy your last night at Hogwarts, and know that you all will be deeply missed." Everyone began clapping enthusiastically, especially the Gryffindors. "Goodbye, all of you," and with that Dumbledore disappeared from the podium.

A band formed where Dumbledore once stood, the teacher's dining tabled gone and in its place were two men in tight skinny jeans and bass guitars strung around them and a drummer with long hair, at the front of the stage stood two guys and one girl, microphones in front of each of them. Draco recognised the band as The Dark Strangers (_**A/N totally made up band**_), a very popular band in the magical world. Literally everyone jumped out of their seats and swarmed around the stages, all screaming hysterically.

"Hey Hogwarts, let's get this started!" yelled the lead singer, everyone screamed louder as the band struck up, the lead singer grabbed the microphone and began to sing into it. "She said she loved me, but she had somewhere to go, she couldn't scream while I held I close, I swore I'd never let her go!" Pansy seized Draco and began to dance with him to the loud rock. Everyone seemed to forget they were in a grand castle and that they were all dressed up in fancy ball gowns and jumped around happily to the music.

In the crowd that swayed like the sea during a storm Draco caught momentary glimpses of Hermione as she danced with her friends, he caught glimpses of her smiling and others as she danced in close with Weasley, who was now keeping her a fair distance form Draco.

Draco was slowly trying to make his way through the dense crowd to where Hermione danced but then a figure caught his eye. Potter was going up the stage; he tapped the shoe of the second male singer. The man stopped playing and bent down and Harry began to talk to him.

The woman singer had already begun singing a song called 'Love fool' and everyone had paired off to dance. As she sang "So I cry, and I beg for you to love me, love me, need me, need me, say that you need me!" Draco had Pansy's hands wrapped around his torso as his eyes darted around the room anxiously, he knew this wasn't good. Hermione and Ron danced together, both smiling and Harry and the second singer had finished speaking.

He walked over and tapped the woman's shoulder and she stopped short. Everyone stopped dancing and Draco watched in horror as they talked in hush tones. Finally they parted and she nodded. Suddenly the drum set turned into a large piano and all the lights died down. Everyone began to mutter as they looked around; a spotlight fell onto the crowd and illuminated Hermione and Weasley. Everyone around them stepped back to form a large circle, Draco rushed forward and got a front row view.

"I believe," the woman said into the microphone. "That this young man has something to say to you, Hermione."

Hermione let out a sharp gasp as she looked half ready to scream, the woman cleared her throat and began to sing like an angel to the music. "Watching stars without you, my soul cried. Heaving heart is full of pain, oh, oh, the aching; because I'm kissing you, oh."

Weasley slowly bent down onto one knee and reached into his pocket. Hermione had her hands around her mouth as she stared wide and teary eyed down at him. After much digging Weasley finally brought out a small black box and he presented it in front of Hermione. He opened it up and Hermione couldn't hold in her gasp as a yellow gem on a golden band winked up at her.

"Hermione," he said his voice almost a whisper. "I love you, I always have loved you! I want you to be my wife so I can forever go on loving you." Hermione began to fan her face that was becoming redder by the second. "Will you marry me?"

Hermione finally let out a small whimper that happened to be a word, the most powerful word in the English dictionary! Everyone around her gasped. "Yes..."

Draco felt his heart as it slowly withered up and sank into the pit of his stomach. He felt as if he couldn't breathe, As if the wind had been knocked out of him. He watched in a fit a outrageous jealousy as Weasley swept Hermione into his arms, He watched as Weasley's lips made contact with Hermione's and how she too wrapped her arms around him tighter as they deepened their kiss. Potter had now appeared at Weasley's side and all three of them were hugging. Hermione cried tears of pure happiness and Draco felt like he was going to throw up!

Blaise's arms touched his shoulder. "Draco, buddy, you ok?" he asked but Draco was infuriated. He bent down and grabbed his wand from where it sat. Blaise tried to hold him back, he was saying something like "Don't be stupid man!" But Blaise didn't understand, Hermione was Draco's one and only hope for a normal life – and now she had chosen Weasley over him!

Draco struggled from his friend's grasp and ran up to where the 'golden trio' stood. They all parted and stared at him with shocked expressions. The band had gone dead silent and everyone was backing away even more. Draco panted heavy as he focussed his wand on Ron.

"You took it all away from me! You little prick! How do you get her?!" Draco screeched, walking closer and closer to Ron.

"Draco, what are you doing?" Hermione asked, her voice trembling. He turned and saw that her happy smile had faded and she now stared at him with her wide brown eyes.

And in one clear and morose moment his mind was able to think for a few seconds. _Those are eyes I'll never be able to see again_, he realised, he glanced at her lips. _Those are lips I'll never be able to kiss..._

He turned back to Weasley, the fury back in his eyes, Ron was backing away as Draco advanced.

"If I can't have her," seethed Draco. "No one will!"

He pointed his wand out and pointed it straight at Weasley, trying to think of the worse curse he could use with out getting thrown into Azkaban.

"Shrunits!" he yelled, and he suspected to see Weasley go flying but instead a certain dark haired boy did, Harry Potter, every one's hero! The man must have jumped in front of Weasley right before Draco cast the spell, now he lay on the marble floor gasping for air as his clothing began to shrink smaller and smaller.

"Harry!" Hermione called out but before any one could even react to Harry's injury Draco lined up a second one at Weasley and finally he got the little bastard! Weasley went flying and landed next to Harry, his own brown clothes shrinking.

Draco laughed murderously as he slowly began to walk up to the two purple faced boys. He slowly aimed his wand at them again, his eyes clouding over in hate as he turned from his rational self to his irrational and enraged self. He opened his mouth to give them a final curse but suddenly a counter spell.

"Expelliamous!" Hermione screamed and Draco's wand was hit by a red light and flew out of his hand. She ignored his reaction and ran up to Potter and Weasley's side. "Reverse," she yelled and her wand shot out a yellow light and their clothing was back to their original size.

She looked up at him; her tears had changed from joyous to heart broken ones, it was lucky that Weasley still floundered around on the floor trying to get air back in his lungs or else he would have killed Draco himself.

"Why'd you say yes?" He finally asked. They had almost forgotten that there was the rest of their year in the room until they all gasped at Draco's words.

"Because I knew I couldn't trust you enough to spend the rest of my life with you," she said, her voice was shaky as he tried to hold back her tears.

"But you can!" Draco said and she scoffed.

"No, I can't!" she yelled, shocking everyone into silence once again. "You just tried to kill Harry and Ron! I will never be able to love you as much as I love Ron... I'm sorry, Draco... we weren't meant to be together."

Draco let out a heavy sob, as Hermione stared up at him, her eyes swelling with tears herself, but not because of Draco's tears, but because Ron and Harry had begun muttering they couldn't breath. Draco felt his legs collapse as sorrow took over him. His heart wrenching sobs echoed through the otherwise silent hall...

He looked up through his blurry tears and saw Hermione hugging Ron tightly, and then turning to Harry, she then joined them both in a three way hug. He looked to his right and saw Pansy looking down at him in disgust, Blaise walked up to Draco and with the help of Crabbe and Goyle, they peeled him off the floor and walked him out of the circle, everyone cleared a path way as Draco was walked away. Draco was full of shame and regret that he couldn't meet anyone's eyes.

It was only when they were on the other side of the Hall's door that he looked over to Blaise who was still supporting him.

"Did I fuck everything up, Blaise?" he asked his voice croaky from his bawling.

"I think so buddy, but hey – You've got us,' his friend replied. "And we'll never leave you."

Draco just gave them a weak smile as they walked back towards their dorm.

_Maybe I can take pleasure in the fact that Hermione is now happy_, Draco thought. _Even though I'm not with her..._

_**Ok, the end! Please, please, please don't kill me for not making it a Dramione – it's just the way this story had to go! I'm sorry!**_

_**Did you like it anyway?? Please give me feedback!! And again – forgive me!!**_


	5. You went up, I'm going down

_**(A/N) I know this story is completed but I had this idea and it just wouldn't leave me alone! So I decided to write it, I mean what the hell right? I have to burn every moment before shcool starts... BTW – SPEW is the organisation Hermione starts in year 4, she's no longer the head of the organisation but is the head of the minitry department "Miscare of Magical Creatures" where she fights against the remaining families who still torture their house elves and other creatures and has been a strong voice in the fight against the cruelty! Yay for her! (just a little background info) You may not agree with breathing a last breath of life into this story – but it was fun to write...**_

_**5 YEARS LATER...**_

Draco stared bitterly into his half empty sotch glass, he wondered if he would be able to finish it before his wife and terror of a child stormed in and dragged him off to the Ministry's annual christmas dance. His eyes moved slowly around the four book covered walls of his study to look out the window eher snow fell hard onto the grounds outside. He drank the alcohol slowly and closed his eyes. He missed the days when he could sit in his one bedroom flat and drink himself senselss, dreaming of Hermione.

Those days Blaise would bring him girl after girl, the two boys would have their fun and kick her out before dawn. When they came down from their party drugs and booze Dracow ould mutter about how he fucked everything up, and Blaise would just reply with an 'I know mate, move on!'.

One day while Draco walked home, his bottles of Vodka hidden under his robes, he ran into Pansy Parkinson, she had been sitting on his stoop, crying into her hands. When Draco arrived she slumped at her feet, begging him to marry her. Shs aid her life had been so simple when they were together, and when they broke up everything fell apart.

Draco looked up at his dingy flat, and felt the cold bottle press against his chest, he was truly sick of his life, and there were no other girls then Hermione that ever came to his mind. So he agreed, figuring that it was better to be married and apparently happy then sitting up all night, smashed, a murming about his love. They had a big wedding, just like their parents had always dreamed of, and when ever anyone asked about what happened between Draco and 'that mudblood Granger' in seventh year, Draco burst out laughing at the ridiculous notion – each time he did so he felt ashamed of himself, and how he belitttled his great love, and apart of his soul died. Then a year later little Wolfgang was born and Pansy and his marriage was over in all but appearances.

Draco drained his glass and slamned it down onto his desk, looking around his expensive study. Above his head, on the second floor, he heard fast feet as they ran down the hall and to the stairway. The noise gave him enough warning to shove his glass into his top drawer next to his almost empty scoth bottle and pop in an altoid before Wolfgang stromed in, his grey eyes wide as he ran up to the walls and tried to climb up the tall bookshelves.

"Stop it," Draco demanded and Wolfgang dropped to the floor terrified of his father, Draco felt a sting of guilt, he saw so much of himself in Wolfgang, but that passed when Wolfgang stuck his tongue out at Draco then ran around in circles singing a tedious children's song.

Pansy sauntered into the room in a flowing silver gown, her black hair done up at the top of her head and it sparkled as the full moon shone in through his study window. She did look beautiful that night, as much as Draco despised her, he found her pale skin luminous as she walked over to Wolfgang. She bent down and lifted him in the air, the boys legs still swung wildly as if he was still running.

"Just let him loose amungst our house elves," Draco muttered, standing up and straightening his dress robes.

"S.P.E.W barely lets you touch them anymore, I'm sure there's a fine for letting your toddler beat them up." Pansy commented coldly, leaving the room with Wolfgang still swinging form her hands. Draco grabbed his wand and fought every urge to hurt her with it, but instead shoved it into its holder and swooped out of the room following Pansy, grabbing his cloack and flinging it over his shoulders.

SPEW was the closest mention to Hermione that was _ever_ mentioned in their house for a very long time and Draco tried to search Pansy's eyes for any regret or bravery for mentioning it. But she looked like stone, she was like a beautiful sculpture, something that was lovely to look at, but you never touch statues, they are unfeeling and never speak to you.

"Come on, you two!" Wolfgang shouted as Pansy turned away from him to slide on her skinned wolf shawl. He jumped from foot to foot infront of their fireplace while Draco duncked a stache into their bason of flu powder, enough for a renturn journey, then threw some into their fireplace for the journey their home to the ministry.

"Hold my hand, Wolfy," Pansy cooed, holding her darling little angel's hand. Wolfgang scowled at Draco who scowled back, he was the first person to jump into the fire.

"Ministry of Magic," he said simply and the green flames consumed him and before he knew it he had stepped gracefully into a crowded Lobby. As he glanced around the room his one thought was that he hoped no one form his Hogwarts class had shone up. Though deep in the part of his gut that was twisting with nerves he knew that many people from Hogwarts would be there.

Draco stepped out of the way just intime for Wolfgang, clutching tightly to Pansy's hand, and Pansy to step gracefully from the green flames themselves. She adjusted her midnight black hair that clung to her head in ringlets. She caught him staring and fixed him a cold stare.

"Draco!" called a familiar voice from their left. Blaise quickly shoved through the crowd, he wipped off his sunglasses to show his healthy tanned face, on his arm was a blond bombshell in a low cut pink dress.

"How appropriate," Pansy muttered as the two approached them.

"Try not to be snide," Draco hissed quitely. "We're in public."

"Man, its been forever!" Draco said as Blaised wrapped his arms around Draco in a tight hug. "Where have you been?"

"Australia, its where I got my tan," Blaise replied with a wide smile, he turned to Draco's wife. "Hey Pansy, keeping well?" he aksed.

"As well as ever," she replied with a tight smile, she truned to Blaise's date. "Pansy Malfoy," she said to the women.

"Kylie Davis," the lady replied with a wide white teeth smile, shaking Pansy's hand roughly. "Plasure to meet you all!" Draco could hear her heavy Australian accent, Pansy stood shocked as if Kylie had slapped her.

"Draco, darling," she said coldly, tugging Wolfgang away with her as she glided through the crowds, not looking back. "I'm going to find our seats."

"What's her problem," Kylie asked, flivking her long blond hair away from her square face.

"She's just a bitch Draco married," Blaise replied and the two laughed.

"I love this place, its so cool," Kylie exclaimed pointing at all the beutiful witches and wizards who strode by, some casting skeptical glances at Kylie who sone like a pink lightbulb.

"So you're a muggle," Draco asked, it made Kylie laugh loud and hard.

"Yeah!" she siad, her accent even more detectable through her fits of giggles. "That's waht Blaise calls me – his little muggle! I think its great, Blaise being all magical much more fasinating then all the men in Sydney, I tell you!"

"Kylie, run along and look at the pretty fountain," Blasie said with a smile. "Draco and I need to talk."

"Alright then, but don't forget about me!" Kylie warned, giving Blaise a quick kiss on the cheek, teh leaning across and giving Draco one.

"I could never forget you," Blaise called after her as she swayed over to the fountain, bright blond hair sashaying as she went. _Girlfriend or just play mate,_ Draco asked himself.

"So, you guys seem to like each other," Draco commented as he slid his cloack off, a coat hanger ran over to where he was and offered his wooden nobs like a hand, Draco layed his claock on the presented hand and it hung it up on the rack where other cloacks hung limp.

"Yeah, she's a blast," Blaise replied, slipping his claock off and handing it to the coat hanger, Draco saw the W embezzled on the nob and got a sinking feeling to which person it referred to, after all Arthur Weasley was famous for taking ordinary muggle household items and truning them into magical helpers. It scurried away but the thought of red headed Weasley's didn't leave Draco's mind.

"At first it was jsut a little fun, I was in Sydney looking for a date, so was Kylie..." Blaise smiled as he remembered. "We got a little frisky and then she agreed to come travelling with me. After about five months of travelling with her, I asked her to come back to London with me, four months fater that I told her about my wizarding skills..."

"Wow, that's big," Draco said as they slowly walked through the crowd, keeping his head down as he did.

"Yeah and two years later, we're here," Blaise siad.

"Two years! God, that's a long time, how'd you keep your tan?" Draco asked.

"We keep going back to Australia, there's no point staying around here if your best mate doesn't talk to you anymore!" Blaise said, glaring at Draco.

"Sorry mate but life's been busy, lots of young teenagers keep apparating without permission, so my department is swamped and you know with Pansy and the kid," Draco explained. "It all just takes up so much time."

"Yeah, hate consumes," Blaise muttered. They had reached the fountain and collected Kylie who had been smiling as she ran her hands in the clear blue water. And walked into the crowded dance hall, there was a large dance floor and circular tables surrounding it, it brought horrible memories of the goodbye dance at Hogwarts.

Blaise glanced at the seating chart and smiled broadly, he slung an arm around Draco's shoulder. "Won't Pansy be glad," he said through a supressed laugh. "We'll be sitting at your table!" Kylie looked and pointed her french tipped acrylic nail at their names, she gave her loud laugh. And then, hand in hand, Kylie and Blaise began to wlak to the tabe, Draco gave the chart a small glance and swore he saw Weasley but when he looked a second time he coundn't se ethe name, but the room was large, ten people per table and their were 200 tables – 2000 people.

He walked after blaise and the brightly lit Kylie to their table that sat right on the edge of the dance floor, now crowded with people who were in groups, all chatting away before they seperated to thier seats. Draco sat down next to Pansy, he had a clear view across the crowded dance floor but still couldn't pick out any familiar faces. Wolfgang jumped up and down in his seat, jabbing his fork into the silk table cloth while Pnasy sneered at Kylie who fascinated teh otehr people at their table with wild stories of life in Sydney. How he hadn't wished for another life...

"Hello all," a familiar voice said from the platform. Dubledore looked more aged then ever, his beard used to be able to tuck it into his belt was now able to tuck it into his shoes. Draco remembered the headmaster (now Minister of Magic) during his first year, that seemed like ages ago.

The dance floor cleared and everyone sat down at their tables and Draco gave quick glances to see if he could see Hermione. But before he could give the rooma thuruogh look Pansy elbowed him in teh ribs and he snapped his head back to Dumbledore.

"8 peaceful years," Dumbledore continued, the crowd gave an applause. "And I do hope you have been living each year god has blassed us with calmness to its fullest." Draco fought every urge to shout no, but kept his mouth shut. "I remember during those years of fighting..."

Dumbledore went on, but Draco tuned out and observed the faces that crowded the room. Some many people he knew, and didn't want to see! Neville Longbottom sat with his own wife as they stared at Dumbledore like he was god, his child, with Longbottom's long teeth, had the same awestruck look on his face. Vincent Crabbe, quite the hot shot in the ministry looked like an ape next to his beautiful supermodel looking wife. Hannah Abbot sat next to her muggle husband and their two children threw ripped peices of paper at eachother, undected by anyone else.

It was then he saw her... _God, you're beautiful!_

Hermione sat at a table across the dance floor, like his own table was. She sat next to her husband, Ronald Weasley, who looked much more mature then Draco had remembered, and next to them sat their two children, one was a girl with long red hair that glinted in the candle light, next to her was her brother with brown hair like Hermione's but had her brown and golden eyes. Hermione had a long flowing gold dress that left her back exposed and Draco let his mind wander to his hands that would glide down her smooth skin.

Her brown eyes, that had those entoxicating gold slivers that gleamed, surveyed the room. When her eyes fell on Draco, he didn't look away, he was over being afraid of her. Nothing could possibly happen between them, She had made sure of that at the goodbye dance those many years ago and Draco had married Pansy which hammered the last nail into his coffin.

She didn't smile at him, she simply stared with the same fascinated look he had on his face, he wondered if she too was thinking about their past. She was probably happy about the way her life had turned out. After all she sat at Harry Potter's table! Where he sat with Ginny Weasley and their two children. Ron sat next to her, his hand lovingly rubbing hers as he looked up at Dumbldore. And their children were well behaved, all looking up at Dumbledore peacefully.

Draco knew he was the one who ended up with nothing, it was then that all his self denial and hatred fell to his feet, it was then he realised that he had fucked it all up that night. Hermione turned away when she beagn to see his dismay, asif uncomforted from it. Weasley sensed it and looked across the dance floor and spotted Draco.

_Shit!_

He glared at Draco, his eyes shooting daggers at him as his hands travelled up and down Hemrione's back to calm her. Draco knew now that he wouldn't see Hermione for the rest of the evening, Weasley would make sure of that. Draco slumped in his chair and began to fiddle with his fork to try and distract his mind form the consuming depression that was beginning to flood him.

"And remember," Dumbledore concluded. "Take pride in your life, while you still have it."

Draco felt like a loser in a crowd of winners, he began to stab the table with his fork while his mind contemplated if anything else could go terribly wrong in his life. _Doubt it..._he cursed. He looked over at Wolfgang and noticed he was looking at Draco as he destoyed the table cloth, the fork the toddler had been using had stopped mid air as he gawked at his father.

The young Wolfgang smiled and in a brief shining moment he saw the true child behind the devil mask, and he saw that this child was worth saving. Draco smiled back and then both boys continued to to scrape away at the tablecloth in unison, much to Pansy's anger.

Ok, he thought to himself, some of the despair draining from him. Maybe things weren't completely lost...

_**(A/N) Ok, shoot me! I knopw this sucked but I just wanted to write it, have a bit of fun, y'know? But hey, like or leave, I just thought I'd give you an update on their lives...**_


End file.
